Inhaled drugs and global warming: time to shift to dry powder inhalers

Propellants in metered dose inhalers are powerful greenhouse gases. It is five years since the Climate Change Act (2008) was introduced to ensure that by 2050 the United Kingdom cuts its carbon emissions by 80%. Despite this, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have recently increased, passing the 400 parts per million mark. Although the potential impact of climate change on respiratory health is widely appreciated, it is less well known that respiratory drugs may be making a sizeable contribution to global warming because of the propellant gases used in metered dose inhalers. (Requires login)